De Valira could show young-bloods the way home

The 354th edition of the Wayward Lad blog.

Yesterday’s selection – ARCHIE’S WISH – was a non-runner.
In hindsight, it was probably another bullet missed as I very much doubt that he’d have been able to win the race yesterday as Charlie Longsdon continues to keep his stable runners in top-form and his entry in the race – Wide Receiver – won the race very easily.

My other “tentative” selection was TRES CORONAS, but he got no run at all as he reared in the stalls and was left at the start – possibly due to his jockey being slow to remove the hood placed over the horse’s head to coax him to enter the stalls. As such, put a line thru’ this formline and ignore it.

There are a couple of interesting meetings at Wincanton and Uttoxeter, but there is also a quality midweek meeting in Ireland at Punchestown. I cannot see anything of interest at Wincanton, tho’ at Uttoxeter the 2-mile h’cap chase at 4:40 looks a possibility. I thought FARLEIGH HOUSE was a shade unlucky not to come out on-top and win on Tuesday at Huntingdon, as he looked to have the race at his mercy after the final flight (it was a hurdle race). From that, we know the horse is fit and in good spirits and, at this stage of the season, that’s a big plus.

At Punchestown, there is a competitive Grade 3 novice chase over 2m2f at 3:45 and DE VALIRA has looked a lot more like realising the potential of his novice hurdle days as a chaser (had a long period of absence due to injury). He may be a 9yo but he has bags of class and looked like winning LTO approaching the last fence till caught for pace. The extra couple of furlongs today will be more to his favour and he is better than a 10/1 chance, as I’d have him at 4/1 for this. I’m not sure he’ll win as both Shinrock Paddy and Rathlin have similar qualities and they are younger, but I’m sure DE VALIRA will be placed in the 1st-3, so perhaps a “place-only” wager on the exchanges.

No need to push the boat out yet as there is a good meeting at Cheltenham tomorrow and Saturday and there will surely be some good wagering opportunities.

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